Dogs and All about Them

The early type of a Pomeranian was that of a dog varying from 10 lb. or 12 lb. weight up to 20 lb. weight, or even more, and some few of about 12 lb. and over are still to be met with; but the tendency among present-day breeders is to get them as small as possible, so that diminutive specimens weighing less than 5 lb. are now quite common, and always fetch higher prices than the heavier ones. The dividing weight, as arranged some ten years ago by the Pomeranian Club, is 8 lb., and the Kennel Club has recently divided the breed into two classes of Pomeranians and Pomeranians Miniature. As a rule the white specimens adhere more nearly to the primitive type, and are generally over 8 lb. in weight, but through the exertions of many breeders, several are now to be seen under this limit. The principal breeders of this colour in England to-day are Miss Hamilton of Rozelle, Miss Chell, Miss Lee-Roberts, Mrs. Pope, and Mrs. Goodall-Copestake. The first two whites to become full champions under Kennel Club rules were Rob of Rozelle and Konig of Rozelle, both belonging to Miss Hamilton of Rozelle. More black Pomeranians have been bred in England than of any other colour, and during the last fifteen years the number of good specimens that have appeared at our great exhibitions has been legion. There do not seem to be so many really good ones to-day as heretofore; this is explained, perhaps, by the fact that other colours are now receiving more and more attention from breeders. A typical small black of to-day is Billie Tee, the property of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mappin. He scales only 5-1/2 lb., and is therefore, as to size and weight as well as shape, style, and smartness of action, a good type of a toy Pomeranian. He was bred by Mrs. Cates, and is the winner of over fifty prizes and many specials. To enumerate all the first-class blacks during the last thirty years would be impossible, but those which stand out first and foremost have been Black Boy, King Pippin, Kaffir Boy, Bayswater Swell, Kensington King, Marland King, Black Prince, Hatcham Nip, Walkley Queenie, Viva, Gateacre Zulu, Glympton King Edward, and Billie Tee.